NH school district considers later start times

NH school district forms committee to look at pros and cons of starting school later in day

ROCHESTER, N.H. (AP) — A New Hampshire school district is looking into whether it makes sense to start classes later in the day.

The Rochester school district has formed an ad hoc committee to meet and discuss how starting later than 7:30 a.m. would affect students and staff. The committee has been given a March deadline to make a recommendation to the Rochester School Board.

Foster's Daily Democrat (http://bit.ly/TDh35p ) says other schools nationwide are starting classes later in the day to improve student performance. The National Sleep Foundation says adolescents across the country are facing chronic sleep deprivation and that early start times conflict with teenagers' internal biological clocks.

But there are unanswered questions on how a later start time would affect bus schedules, sports and other extracurricular activities.